Alcohol

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Department of Health has had with HM Treasury and other departments on the impact on consumption of measures to ensure that alcohol duty increases are passed on to consumers in full.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Increases in alcohol duty are a matter for Her Majesty's Treasury.

Children: Care

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in England are in care; and how many of those have been in care for at least one year.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in care in England are in (a) foster homes; (b) residential care accommodation; and (c) boarding schools (both maintained and independent) whose fees are paid by local authorities.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The number of children who were looked after at 31 March 2008, the latest date for which information is known, was 59,500. Of these, 43,900 children had been looked after for at least one year.
	Information on the number of children who were looked after in (a) foster homes; (b) residential care accommodation; and (c) boarding schools can be found in table A3, taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR 23/2008) entitled "Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008". Please note that boarding schools are listed as residential schools and no information is held on their maintained or independent status or on who pays their fees.
	The SFR is located at www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000810/index.shtml and table A3 can be found within the first set of Excel tables on the website.

Children: Care

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty's Government (a) what is the total annual expenditure on children who are in care in England, including direct and administrative costs; (b) what is the cost per child in foster homes; (c) how much a foster family receives annually per child; and (d) what is the cost per child in residential care homes.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Since 1996-97, local authority expenditure on services for looked-after children has increased from £1.3 billion to just over £2.1 billion in 2006-07. This figure does not include expenditure on social worker salaries, on the costs of assessment or on the wider services provided for looked-after children. In addition, for 2007-08 and through to 2010-11, the Government have provided almost £300 million extra to help local authorities to take forward the Care Matters programme of reform, a key programme that will help to improve lives and outcomes for looked-after children.
	
		
			 Total costs of services for looked-after children in England (£ millions)1 
			 Provision 2005-06 2006-07 
			 Children's homes 940 930 
			 Secure accommodation (welfare places) 30 25 
			 Fostering services 960 1,050 
			 Other children looked after services 120 120 
			 Total 2,050 2,125 
		
	
	The cost per child looked after in foster homes is £463 per week2.
	Data on how much a foster family receives annually per child are not collected centrally. The way in which fostering service providers structure their payment systems is extremely diverse, taking account of, for example, levels of training, qualifications, experience and the needs of the child in place. However, in April 2007, the Government introduced a national minimum allowance3 for foster carers to cover the cost of caring for a child in their home; over and above this minimum, each fostering provider determines its own payment structure. Some foster carers may also receive a fee payment which is a reward for skills, commitment or time.
	The cost per child looked after in residential care homes is £2402 per week4.
	1 Source—PSS EXP1 2005-06 and 2006-07 (NB—figures are rounded)
	2 Source—Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs England 2006-07 (Table 6.1)
	3 The National Minimum Allowance for 2009-10 can be found at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/fostercare/
	4 Source—Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs England 2006-07 (Table 6.1)

Children: Care

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty's Government in the most recent three years for which figures are available, how many (a) boys, and (b) girls, who are or have been in care in England have achieved five GCSE A* to C grades, including maths and English; and how those results compare with the national average.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The number and percentage of pupils looked after continuously for at least 12 months in year 11 achieving five GCSE A* to C grades as well the percentage of all pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving five GCSE A* to C grades for 2005, 2006 and 2007 can be found in table C of the Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve Months to 30 September 2007 — England, Statistical First Release. This is accessible via www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/SFR08_2008_NationalTablesv2.xls.
	This information comes from an aggregate data collection and it is therefore not possible to split these figures by gender or provide further information on the number achieving five A* to C grades including English and mathematics.

Criminal Records Bureau

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the charge to those being checked for a Criminal Records Bureau check.

Lord West of Spithead: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) charges £31 for a standard disclosure and £36 for an enhanced disclosure. The CRB continues to process disclosure applications for volunteers free of charge.

Criminal Records Bureau

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all members of the family, or only the head, must be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau in cases when checks are required for children being hosted in private houses.

Lord West of Spithead: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) issues higher-level disclosures (both standard and enhanced) for employment and licensing purposes, as provided for in Part V of the Police Act 1997. Higher-level disclosures (standard and enhanced) can be asked for only in relation to positions that are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) (Exceptions) Order 1975. These are positions/licensing requirements for which an employer/regulatory authority may ask to see spent as well as unspent conviction information.
	Those families acting as host families for children from overseas who are under 18 would qualify for a higher-level disclosure if they are working in a regulated position as defined in Section 36(1)(a) to (h) of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act (CJCSA) 2000. The CJCSA defines a child as someone who is under 18 (under 16 if the child is employed). If they are working (whether paid or unpaid) in a position whose normal duties include regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of a person under 18, they would qualify for an enhanced disclosure. However, under Part V of the Police Act 1997 a disclosure would not be mandatory for any member of the host family.
	It is for an employer or organisation, bearing in mind their legal and other responsibilities, to determine whether or not they should ask members of a host family to apply for a disclosure. If not using the disclosure service, organisations with responsibility for employing people in positions of trust should have their own vetting requirements and procedures.

Criminal Records Bureau

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government when an adult accompanying children on an arranged visit is accommodated by the same host family as the children on the visit, whether the host family is required to have a Criminal Records Bureau check.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: I refer the noble Lord to my previous Answer on 26 November (Official Report, col. WA341). In addition, I am aware that groups such as the Watoto children's charity, which the noble Lord supports, have asked about how the forthcoming vetting and barring scheme will work for adults from overseas on short visits to the UK, who during their visit have contacts with UK children which bring the visiting adult into the scope of that scheme. Officials are liaising with these groups on a way forward.

Deportation: Iraq

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of removing 49 Kurdish detainees and 76 guards to Iraq during the week of 8 December; and why that was done.

Lord West of Spithead: This removal was undertaken by way of a charter flight, the cost of which cannot be disclosed as it is commercially sensitive.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 March 2008 (WA 44) and 12 January 2009 (WA 96—97), how the potential and survival time of an outgrown embryo compares with that of currently licensed cytoplasmic hybrids according to data reviewed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised me that the data that it holds do not permit such a comparison to be made.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 March 2008 (WA 44) and 12 January 2009 (WA 96—97), whether any embryonic stem cells are known to have been derived under Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority licences from either class of entity.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised me that embryonic stem cell lines have been derived from human embryos as a result of HFEA licensed research. However, the HFEA does not hold a record of the method used in the derivation of each stem cell line.
	In respect of cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, the HFEA's inspection reports of the research centres holding licences indicate that no embryonic stem cell lines have yet been derived under HFEA licensed projects.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 March 2008 (WA 44) and 12 January 2009 (WA 96—97), whether the ability to develop if implanted in a woman is or has been essential to the definition of an embryo according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The potential of a human embryo to implant and develop into a foetus if placed in a woman is not an essential factor in defining the meaning of an embryo in Section 1 (Principal terms used) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April 2008 (WA 234) and 12 January 2009 (WA 96—97), whether the "broad range of available evidence" considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) only included one published study but excluded the six papers referred to in Lord Alton of Liverpool's letter to the HFEA on 6 November 2008 and excluded data published in the journals Stem Cells (Volume 23, No. 6, pages 805—816) and Biology of Reproduction (Volume 55, No. 2, pages 254—259).

Lord Darzi of Denham: It is a matter for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to determine specifically which pieces of available evidence it considers, as part of the statutory duty placed on it by subsection (8)(a) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Health: Diabetes

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 12 December 2008 (WA 13), whether they will now collect and collate information on the percentage of schools attended by children with diabetes which do not have a policy for (a) advising staff how to supervise blood glucose monitoring (BGM); (b) how to carry out BGM; (c) how to supervise the taking of medication; and (d) how to give medication; and what action they will take to improve the position.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has no plans to collect this information.
	There is no legal duty on schools or their staff to support a pupil with medical needs or to administer or supervise the taking of medicines. However, as stated in the Written Answer of 12 December, schools are encouraged to develop policies on managing medicines and supporting pupils with medical needs.
	In addition, since September 2007, schools have had a duty to promote the well-being of all pupils, including those with long-term medical conditions such as diabetes. This duty defines well-being as the five outcomes of Every Child Matters, including being healthy and staying safe.
	In April 2007, the Department of Health published a report entitled Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter, and has convened a group to support the implementation of best practice as set out in the report. The Department for Children, Schools and Families is represented on that group and on the sub-group set up to look specifically at support in schools.

Interception of Communications

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 28 February (WA 136), whether the reference to the practice in Scotland was included because the practice there is different; and, if so, how it differs.

Lord West of Spithead: National security is a retained function, so warrants sought in relation to national security can be authorised only by the Secretary of State. Scottish Ministers are able to authorise warrants sought in relation to serious crime.
	The processes for authorisation of interception warrants under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers 2000 are the same throughout the UK.

Interception of Communications

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the retention of communications traffic data is covered by the Wilson doctrine.

Lord West of Spithead: Communications data are retained by organisations and communications service providers for many reasons. The security and intelligence agencies, police and other authorised bodies may have access to that data under arrangements set out in RIPA.

Iraq: Security

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what their criteria are for achieving sustainable security in (a) Basra, and (b) Iraq.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Over the past two and a half years, responsibility for security in the 18 provinces of Iraq has been gradually transferred from the coalition to the Government of Iraq. The transfer of a province was based on a joint assessment, by the coalition and the Government of Iraq, of the security situation in each province and the capability of the Iraqi security forces based there. In the period May 2006 to October 2008, responsibility for the security of 13 of Iraq's 18 provinces was transferred to the Government of Iraq. Following the expiry of UNSCR 1790 on 31 December 2008, the Government of Iraq now lead in maintaining security throughout Iraq with multinational forces focused on training and supporting the Iraqi security forces in delivering this mission.
	Basra province was transferred to Iraqi control in December 2007 and since then UK forces have been training and assisting the Iraqi army, navy and marine units based there. As my right honourable friend the Prime Minister announced to the House of Commons on 18 December 2008 (Official Report, Commons, col. 1233) UK forces' remaining tasks in southern Iraq should be completed by 31 July 2009, following which we will move to a normalised bilateral defence relationship with Iraq.
	Responsibility for sustaining and building on the significant reductions in violence in Iraq since 2007 now rests, therefore, with the sovereign Iraqi Government. The UK will continue to provide active and wide-ranging support to the Government of Iraq's efforts, not only through direct military assistance as outlined above, but also through support in fields such as governance, regional diplomacy, economic development, and security and justice sector reform, all of which have a bearing on Iraq's future stability and security.

Pakistan: Blasphemy Laws

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Pakistan concerning alleged misuse of the blasphemy laws, and the case for their reform or repeal.

Lord Malloch-Brown: With our EU partners, we regularly raise our concerns over the situation of religious minorities in Pakistan including the application of the blasphemy laws and the need to reform or repeal discriminatory legislation. Officials in London and Islamabad regularly meet with representatives of civil society and human rights organisations to monitor the treatment of minorities and inform our policy more widely. The UN Human Rights Council undertook a universal periodic review of Pakistan's human rights records in May. The UK participated in this dialogue and obtained a commitment from the Pakistani delegation that checks would be introduced to regulate investigations into allegations of blasphemy and apostasy.
	Our high commission in Islamabad is also supporting programme and project work to enhance civil society's capacity to act as advocates for human rights, improve access to justice and promote human rights in Pakistan.

Schools: Disruptive Children

Lord Steinberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address disruptive and violent behaviour in schools.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The overwhelming majority of schools are orderly places. The Government recognise that a small minority of pupils present challenging behaviour problems and back head teachers' authority to intervene to tackle bad behaviour and to prevent problems from spiralling out of control.
	We have significantly strengthened schools' powers to discipline by introducing a range of legislation to protect schools from challenges to their disciplinary authority and to reinforce parental responsibility. New measures in the fourth Session Children, Skills and Learning Bill include extending the existing power to search pupils for weapons to also include alcohol, illegal drugs and stolen property.
	In addition to new legal powers, we have also provided schools with high-quality training, materials and consultancy support to enable them to promote positive behaviour. We are also helping them to form partnerships with other schools, police and other agencies to strengthen behaviour management.

Terrorism: 7 July Bombings

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people died in the London bombings on 7 July 2005; and whether the four perpetrators who took their own lives are victims of crime.

Lord West of Spithead: In total 56 people died in the 7 July 2005 London bombings. This figure includes the four bombers. We do not consider it possible for a person to be a victim of their own crime.